So as luck would have it, I recently purchased a 55" 6290 series and a 65" 6290 series TV 3 weeks ago, prior to reading anything about the new smart hub…
As I understand it, only the 7 series UHD TVs will allow the Extend to use the TV as a Smart Hub, but I already have both v1 and v2 hubs, so it’s of no consequence to me if the TVs can be used as hubs… What I DO want, however, is the capability to connect my new TVs to routines, and to my Echo so I can control some basic functionality. Any idea if this is possible with or without the Extend?
What if you already have a hub? Will this play nice or is it a replacement? For those of use who already have a hub, can the tv app be enabled to allow us to control things from the tv? I’d love to be able to run my ‘movie’ routine to dim the lights right from the TV, and since I already have a standalone hub, I shouldn’t need the USB stick. If I can do it from an iPhone, the tv app should be capable too.
If I buy a UN55KU6500 will it connect to smartthings? I’ll buy the hub. But if I tell Alexa I want to watch tv, will it come on? If not will the dongle work? If not what TV do I have to buy?
This is the clearest article I have been able to find on the matter, but suggests that 6000 units can be controlled, which doesn’t match the SmartThings article I will list below this one. I don’t know how Alexa will deal with it though. And you have to have the dongle, and the only place I have been able to find it is at the SmartThings store online.
Edit. I saw it online this weekend and now can not find the same link. So info only at this point.
I am not 100% positive about the 6 Series TVs at this time. I can confidently say they will not be Extend compatible but are some engineering challenges to make them controllable as a Thing, which makes the feasibility/timeline to proceed unclear.
If you are on the fence about getting a 6 or 7 series TV, the 7s are super nice and worth considering. Standing in front of one at a SmartThings demo event basically convinced me that I need to upgrade my TV
@Aaron will the extend work on the 2015 SUHD TV’s? I have the UN65JS9000 SUHD TV. I would like to know if it will work on my TV when they release the extend ?
I don’t know the answer but HU is a 2014 model, J=2015, K=2016.
But yes you could buy a “H” in any of those years but that doesn’t stop it being a 2014 platform.
Here is the answer. Extend dongle isn’t out until 2017 and even then it won’t make your TV a device, only a hub.
Jason (SmartThings)
Oct 7, 10:36 AM MST
Hello David,
Thanks for reaching out to us. That is a good question. The answer unfortunately is no. The TV’s do not integrate as a device type through SmartThings at this current time. The Extend dongle will only give the TV the capability to act like the Hub and run other devices/automations. The Extend dongle will be available sometimes next year and will only work with 2016 Samsung TVs 7 Series UHD & 8, 9 Series SUHD. I hope this information is helpful and and if you have any other questions please let us know.
Many many people. You will find much discussion in the forums. I will put a couple links to thread discussions at the end of this post.
My own experience: undocumented changes
My own experience back in August 2015 was that it worked great at that time. However, between August 2015 and March 2016 there were at least four changes made to the integration that were not announced ahead of time. At least two of those would cause the integration to stop working for a little while. You might have to do something minor, like change the name or even just open the app and close it again.
My problem is that I am quadriparetic (use a wheelchair and have limited Hand control) so I have to pay someone else to do almost all of the maintenance, including just rebooting something. And I really needed the voice control or I couldn’t even turn my television on and off.
NonSmartThings alternatives
Fortunately, over that time two alternative and more stable methods were introduced by Amazon. The first was that the echo IFTTT channel added the trigger method. Different people have different amounts of IFTTT lag – – at my house it’s a pretty consistent eight seconds. That was fine and I use that method a lot.
Then the free yonomi app came out, and at least for now it works even more quickly than the official IFTTT channel. My experience with it, though, is that it seems to get overloaded around 530 local time, and it doesn’t always work for me between 530 and around eight. I don’t have to do anything to get it working again but it happens often enough that I keep both yonomi and the IFTTT trigger method set up for each task. I try the yonomi, but if it fails at all I just switch to using the IFT TT for a while.
In addition to all of these, there is currently a closed beta going on with echo and harmony, so hopefully they will release their own native integration pretty soon.
Using SmartThings does give you the ability to add schedules and automations
Anyway, all of that means you have lots of people using echo and harmony in several different ways, and many of them are still using it with the SmartThings method. That method does have the advantage that you can automate stuff if you want the news turned on automatically as you come in the front door, for example. Or if you want to turn on a channel for 30 minutes when you go to bed and then turn it off again.
It’s always good to have choices.
Follow up discussion about echo plus harmony plus smartthings should go in the following thread, as we’re getting off topic for this one.
You will find much discussion in the forums. I will put a couple links to thread discussions at the end of this post.